


Four Times, and One More

by IntrovertedRavenclaw



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Mortal Instruments Series - Cassandra Clare
Genre: Caring Magnus Bane, Fever, Head Cold, Injury, M/M, Sick Alec Lightwood, Sickfic, Sleepy Alec Lightwood, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, Vomiting, not too graphic though
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-16
Updated: 2018-04-10
Packaged: 2019-03-19 08:19:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,149
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13700559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IntrovertedRavenclaw/pseuds/IntrovertedRavenclaw
Summary: Four times that Magnus takes care of Alec and one time that Alec takes care of Magnus in return. Because these two love taking care of each other.





	1. Head Cold

**Author's Note:**

> Sick Alec is my baby and I love when these boys take care of each other, so here we are.

Cold and flu season was at its peak, and the entire Lightwood family had managed to be hit with a nasty cold within a few days of each other. Alec was no exception. It was too busy of a time at the Institute for him to curl up on Magnus' couch and watch crappy TV while his cold ran its course, so he had resorted to loading up on cold medicine and pushing through.

Of course, mundane cold medicine barely made a dent. 

Alec sneezed into a tissue, groaning as he tossed it into the trashcan next to his desk, which was already overflowing with used tissues. His head pounded with every breath, and there was a relentless tickle in his nose and throat. He grabbed a fresh tissue, and blew his nose. 

A knock on the door of his office startled Alec, and he flicked the used tissue into the trashcan and attempted to make himself look less sick than he felt. 

"Come in." He called out, mildly horrified when he realized that his words barely came out as actual words, and instead a congested mumble. Then the door swung open, and Alec managed a smile. "Magnus."

"How're you feeling?" Magnus asked, coming around behind the desk where Alec was seated and rubbing up and down on his back with a gentle touch.

"Pretty lousy." Alec admitted. "Hey, do I feel hot to you?"

Magnus brought his hand to his forehead. "No fever. Why?"

Alec sighed heavily. "I would really like to pass out on your couch right now, but I promised my mother I'd stay unless I'm burning up or dying, since they're all sick too." He sneezed suddenly, reaching for a tissue to wipe his nose, which set off another sneeze.

"I brought you some medicine, soup, and juice." Magnus said. 

Alec smiled. "You're wonderful." He took the pack of pills and the bottle of juice that Magnus had brought, and swallowed the pills. Magnus the snapped his fingers and a bowl of soup appeared on the desk. "You didn't steal this, did you?"

"Oh, relax. I sent money to the restaurant so it's not technically stealing." Magnus waved it off. "Eat. It'll help."

Alec reached for another tissue, then sneezed twice, causing his eyes to water. 

"Ugh." He groaned, wiping at his nose, which set off another sneeze. "Sorry. I'm sneezing all over you. By the angel, I'd hate if you got sick."

Magnus shrugged. "We sleep in the same bed, Alec, and you're worried about a little sneezing?"

"Colds are airborne." He said, sounding a touch defensive. "Also, I'm sneezing a lot. It's terrible." He tossed the tissue into the overflowing trashcan. Magnus noticed, and with a snap of his fingers, the trashcan was empty. "Thanks."

"Eat your soup." Magnus instructed. "You need the nutrients."

Alec sniffled and swallowed a spoonful. The warmth relaxed his throat and cleared his stuffed sinuses just slightly. "Mmh. That helps."

When he finished the soup, Magnus snapped his fingers and the bowl disappeared. Alec sneezed, blew his nose, and sneezed again while Magnus frowned. "You look flushed."

He brought the back of his hand to Alec's cheek. "Maybe you should come home and rest."

"I wish." Alec sighed. "Unfortunately, I really can't leave. There's no one to take over. My parents and Izzy and Jace are all basically bedridden." 

"Alright." Magnus kissed his forehead. "I'll let you get back to work. Call me if you start feeling worse."

"Love you," Alec called out as Magnus left. 

When Alec returned to the loft a few hours later, he immediately curled up on the couch with a groan. Magnus was there in an instant, wrapping a blanket around his shoulders and handing him a cup of tea. Alec felt considerably worse; his runny nose had turned into a stuffiness that was heavy in his head, the itch in his throat was now a burning, and he was developing a cough on top of everything else. Magnus gave him another dose of the mundane cold medicine and another bowl of soup before tucking him into bed with a box of tissues. 

Alec woke up not feeling much better. He sat up, and all of the pressure in his head shifted uncomfortably. He reached for a tissue as his nose started to run. 

"Magnus..." He groaned. The warlock woke up immediately and sat up.

"What's wrong, Darling?"

"Do I feel hot?" Alec slumped back into the pillows, closing his eyes. Magnus sat up and brought a hand to Alec's forehead.

"You are warm." he agreed. "You sound worse too."

"My cold is worse." Alec complained, holding a tissue to his leaking nose. "Why is it worse?"

"It has to run its course, I think." Magnus stroked his cheek as he coughed. "Take some medicine before you head to the Institute... If you could stay in bed all day, that would be even better."

Alec coughed. "Hand me my phone. I'm calling Izzy. I'm not leaving this bed today."

Magnus laughed. "I have a few clients downtown today, so I'll be gone all morning. Will you be okay?"

"I'll be fine." Alec said, as he waited for his sister to pick up. "Hey, Izzy. My cold is worse today, so I'm not going to the Institute today... Yes, I'm at Magnus'..." He trailed off to sneeze. "I'm good, I just-" He sneezed again, and found that she had hung up.

Magnus looked at Alec for a minute before he decided, "I'm cancelling all my appointments today."

"What?" Alec asked. "Why?"

"I'd rather be here with you." He replied.

Alec chuckled, which caused him to cough. "Because I'm deathly ill and need someone to take care of me?"

"Well, that and we haven't had much time together these past few weeks." Magnus said. "I finally have a chance to spend time with you."

"I'm not gonna be very exciting company." Alec sniffled. 

"I am completely okay with resting with you on the couch and watching movies." He responded, rubbing Alec's back. "I actually have a few movies I've been meaning to show you."


	2. Burning Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This time, Alec just has a high fever and wants Magnus' cold hands. :)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Quick warning: there is some vomiting in this but it's very brief and not too graphic.

Alec couldn't even remember the last time he'd felt like this. His head pounded. Every muscle in his body ached. His throat felt like sandpaper every time swallowed. He closed his eyes, in an effort to make the room stop spinning. He had been at the Institute today until Isabelle noticed that he was sick and sent him home.

_"You look flushed." She'd said. "Are you feeling okay?"_

_"I have a headache." Alec had managed. He was so not okay._

"Alexander?" A voice said, jerking Alec out of his uneasy sleep. "I thought you said you were working late tonight. I wasn't expecting you for another few hours, at least."

Alec opened his eyes, then whimpered at the pain in his head. "Don't..." He cleared his throat and tried again. "Don't feel well."

Magnus frowned sympathetically. "Rough hunt?"

"No," Alec tried to sit up and immediately regretted it. "Didn't... Didn't even have a mission today."

He felt the coolness of both Magnus' hand and his rings against his forehead. "You're burning up."

"Feels good," Alec mumbled. "Cold."

"Alexander, honey, we need to get you to bed," Magnus said, wrapping an arm around him. Alec somehow managed to stand up and shuffle to the bedroom. Once he was in bed, Alec buried his face into the cool part of the pillow. He was vaguely aware of Magnus leaving the room, and coming back a few minutes later. "I need you to sit up."

Alec groaned. "Too tired." He reached for Magnus' blissfully cool hand and placed it back on his forehead. "Your hand is cold. Feels good on my head."

"I'll get you an ice pack for your head if you sit up and take this medicine."

Magnus wrapped an arm around his back and helped pull him upright, then placed a few extra pillows to prop him up. "This should help bring down your fever. Hopefully, you'll feel a little better."

He handed Alec two pills and a glass of water. Alec swallowed the pills dutifully, then continued sipping the water when Magnus urged him to finish it.

"What happened?" Magnus asked. "You were fine this morning."

"I don't know." Alec sighed. "I just got a bad headache and my body aches. My throat is starting to hurt too." He grasped Magnus' hand again and placed it back on his face. "You promised me an ice pack."

"You have a high fever." Magnus brushed some of his hair off of his forehead. "You might have the flu. If you're not feeling any better tomorrow I'll call Catarina." He summoned the promised ice pack and placed it on Alec's forehead, where his hand had been. 

"You don't have to take care of me, you know," Alec mumbled. "I can take care of myself."

"You can barely sit up."

"No, just... I always take care of myself." Alec swallowed painfully. "Even as a kid. My parents... Don't have the best bedside manner."

"Your parents didn't take care of you when you were sick?" Magnus asked in disbelief.

Alec shrugged weakly. "They have political careers. I take care of Izzy and Jace and Max." He closed his eyes. "And I take care of myself."

"Would you rather me leave you alone?" Magnus asked softly.

"No." Alec yawned. "C-can you get sick from me?"

"No. Warlocks are fairly immune to these things. We can get sick, but it's unlikely. You might give me a low-grade fever if you really try."

"Will you lay with me?" Alec murmured.

"Of course." Magnus climbed into bed next to him, and Alec immediately curled up on Magnus' chest. "Are you okay?"

"Mhmm." Alec yawned against Magnus' chest. "Tired." Then he fell asleep in Magnus' arms.

When Alec woke up, Magnus was still in bed beside him, fast asleep.

"Magnus?" He asked softly. The warlock jerked awake. "Do I still have a fever?"

Magnus yawned and brought his hand to Alec's forehead. "Yes. You're still very hot, too. Your fever isn't going to go away after a few hours of sleep."

"What time is it?"

Magnus squinted at the clock. "Uh... Two in the morning. Please try to get more sleep."

"Okay." Alec settled back into the pillows. Then after a few minutes, he spoke again. "Magnus?"

"Mhmm?"

"I can't sleep."

"The more rest you get, the better you'll feel." Magnus yawned.

"I already feel better," Alec remarked. "Maybe I already slept enough."

"I think the medicine is just kicking in, Darling." He said. "Do you want some tea or anything to eat?"

"Tea is good."

Magnus snapped his fingers and a mug of tea appeared, then he handed it to Alec. He managed to finish most of it, before settling back into the pillows. Magnus picked a random book off of the shelf and started reading to him, a story about some ancient witch. Halfway through the second chapter, Alec jerked awake and stumbled to the bathroom, retching.

"Oh, poor thing." Magnus followed, rubbing circles on his back as he heaved over the toilet.

Alec flushed the toilet, then let out a heavy sigh as he leaned against Magnus. "This is terrible."

"Do you want to go back to bed, or...?" Magnus trailed off as Alec gagged again, this time vomiting a little on his shirt before repositioning himself over the toilet. "You need a new shirt."

Alec felt so miserable he wanted to cry. "How are you dealing with this? This is so gross."

"I've dealt with worse," Magnus said calmly. "Let's get you cleaned up."

Magnus had Alec settled back in bed, after providing him with a fresh shirt and wiping his mouth and clammy face with a wet washcloth. Alec was out like a light, exhausted from being so sick.

When Alec woke up again, it was early morning, and he felt somewhat better. His head didn't ache so much, and he wasn't so queasy anymore.

"I feel gross." He murmured, more to himself than to Magnus, who was still asleep. Magnus jerked awake.

"Are you going to be sick again?"

"N-no," Alec answered.

"You sound unsure."

"I'm okay. I feel a little better." Alec yawned. "I'm just... I feel really sweaty."

Magnus sat up and felt his forehead. "Your fever broke."

"Oh." Alec buried his face in the pillow again. "Why do I still feel weird?"

"You're still sick, sweetheart. You need a few more days to recover." The warlock chuckled. "I'm glad you're feeling a little better."


	3. Too Tired

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec is exhausted... and injured. And, to top it all off, he wakes up sick.

"Where have you been?" Magnus demanded as Alec stumbled through the front door at an ungodly hour. "You are two hours late and I was worried sick. And why are you covered in blood?"

"Not mine." Alec groaned, exhausted. "Something's wrong with my shoulder, though. I was knocked over by this demon... And I tried to break my fall but I did something to my shoulder when I hit the ground. I couldn't even use my bow after that."

Magnus took Alec's jacket off as gently as he could, then pulled his shirt off over his head. Alec gasped in pain.

"Sorry. I'm sorry." Magnus said. "I need to get a better look at your shoulder, and check for other injuries."

Alec winced. "Jace already drew an iratze, but my shoulder didn't heal for some reason."

"That's because it's dislocated," Magnus stated, prodding at the shoulder gently with his finger. Alec winced. "If your shoulder isn't even in place, it can't heal."

"Can you fix it?" 

"I can fix it. Lay down." Magnus instructed. "I'm going to push it back into the socket, but I need you to relax."

Alec groaned and laid down on the couch, his injured right shoulder facing Magnus. "Is this going to hurt?"

"Yes," the warlock replied. "But only for a second. Then it will feel much better."

Alec shut his eyes tight. "Just get it over with."

"You need to relax." 

"I am relaxed." 

"You're really tense." Magnus sighed. "Take a deep breath and try to relax your muscles. If you're tense, I can't get your shoulder back in place." 

Alec took a deep breath and tried to relax. Apparently, that was enough to satisfy Magnus, because the next thing he knew, his shoulder was being wrenched back into its socket. 

"Better?" Magnus asked.

"That was it?" Alec opened his eyes. "It feels better. A little sore."

"Good. You'll have to ice your shoulder so that it doesn't swell, but you'll be back to normal in a few days." Magnus told him. "Where did all of that blood on your clothes come from?"

"Izzy," Alec said wearily. "After I fell and... dislocated my shoulder, I was stunned for a second and wasn't covering her back. That was when she got scratched. I gave her an iratze and it healed completely." 

Magnus ran his finger over a small cut on Alec's cheek, from his bowstring, and frowned. "Are you feverish?"

"I had a headache before we went on that mission, but I thought it was nothing." Alec yawned. "It _is_ nothing. I'm probably just dehydrated."

"Hmm. You feel a little warm." Magnus mused. "I do think you are dehydrated, though. Water or tea?"

"Water." Alec yawned. With a snap of his fingers, Magnus had a cool glass of water, which he handed over to Alec. Then he summoned an ice pack, which he pressed to Alec's sore shoulder. "You're a lifesaver."

"You're exhausted," Magnus observed.

"Mhm," Alec agreed, leaning back against the couch and closing his eyes. 

"Have you taken a break today? You were working since early this morning, and then you had a mission-"

"It's fine," Alec yawned. "I have nowhere to be until tomorrow afternoon. I'll sleep in."

"Good," Magnus said. "You need to take care of yourself. I don't want you getting this rundown. It's not good for your health."

"I know," Alec sighed, taking a long, slow sip of his water. "By the angel, I am so tired."

"Let's get you to bed." Magnus started to help him up. "I'd suggest a shower, but seeing as you can hardly stand-"

Alec chuckled. "Yeah. Just sleep is good for now." He yawned, then positioned himself underneath the covers. He shifted so that he was laying on his side, so as not to put pressure on the injured shoulder, then was out like a light. 

But of course, with Alec's luck, a good night's sleep did not help. In fact, he woke up sick.

"By the angel," he muttered. "I just can't catch a break."

Magnus pulled his palm off of Alec's forehead. "Your fever isn't too high. You look terrible, though."

Alec groaned. His throat ached and his head swam, not to mention the sore shoulder and general exhaustion. 

"Hey," Magnus said softly. "It's okay. I can whip up a potion for the pain, and you can get some extra sleep, and you'll be good as new. I think this is more exhaustion than anything else."

"O-okay," Alec said shakily. "So do you think I'll be okay by two o' clock? I have to go to the Institute then." 

"Sweetheart, it's already three thirty."

"I slept in that late?" Alec swore. "I have to get up."

"No way! You're exhausted, injured, _and_ sick; everyone will understand if you call in sick." Magnus pointed out. "You really should stay here and recuperate."

"And we have the downworld cabinet meeting tonight-"

"Alexander," Magnus interrupted. "Relax. I'll take care of it." He took Alec's phone from the nightstand, sent a quick text, and said, "there. Canceled."

"You canceled it?" 

"Yes. Look at yourself, you are not going anywhere." Magnus said. He snapped his fingers and a glass of water appeared, which he handed to Alec. "Drink that. I'll get you some sort of potion so you can feel better."

Alec grinned slightly and took a sip of the water. "You're wonderful, Magnus." 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really appreciate all of the lovely comments guys! If you have any suggestions for Alec's (or Magnus ;)) next ailment, be sure to comment, because I'm debating what this next chapter is gonna be about and would love some input.


	4. Throwing Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alec has a little stomach bug and needs Magnus to help him get home from the Institute.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow creative title am I right? Titles are hard I'm sorry haha

"Magnus," Isabelle said urgently over the phone. "We need you."

"Is this for a portal? I can be there in thirty minutes, I just have to finish-"

"It's Alec," she interrupted. "Stupid idiot came to work sick. He's been cranky and tired, complained of a headache, and he threw up a little while ago."

"Migraine?" Magnus asked.

"I'm not sure. He doesn't really get them. Will you come convince him to go home?" Isabelle asked. "Jace and I tried, but Alec is a stubborn asshole. He'll probably listen to you though." 

"I'll be right there," Magnus said. He opened up a portal to the Institute and stepped inside. 

"Magnus," Jace greeted him. "Alec is sick."

"So I've heard. Is he in his office?"

Jace nodded, and Magnus followed the hallway down to Alec's office, then knocked on the door. 

"Come in," he heard Alec croak.

Magnus swung the door open to find Alec resting his head on the desk. "Not feeling so well, huh?"

Alec shook his head minutely. "Just a bad headache. I'll be okay."

Magnus placed his palm on Alec's forehead. "And a fever." 

Alec squeezed his eyes shut. "Dizzy."

"Let's get you home." 

"No portal right now," Alec murmured. "Feel sick. I think I might-" he gagged, and in one swift movement, Magnus had the office trashcan under him. 

"You done?" Magnus asked, after a few minutes of Alec heaving over the trashcan. He nodded.

"Sorry. 'm good now." Alec croaked breathlessly. 

"Can you stand? We'll get a cab instead of a portal, that should be a little easier on you." 

"Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine." Alec tried to stand but stumbled. Magnus wrapped an arm around his waist. It was slow going, but they managed to get a taxi to bring them back to Magnus' loft.

"Do _not_ throw up in this taxi, Alexander." Magnus joked. Alec managed a weak smile as he rested his head against the window. 

When they made it home, Alec went straight to the couch, where he collapsed unceremoniously. 

"How did you make it to work this sick?" Magnus asked worriedly, rifling through the kitchen cabinets to find a thermometer taking a seat beside him. 

"Didn't think it was this bad." Alec groaned. "Thought it was just a headache."

"Under the tongue," Magnus handed him the thermometer, and Alec patiently stuck it under his tongue. "101.8."

"Is that bad?"

"We'll keep an eye on it." Magnus frowned. "Come here." He held his arms open for a hug and Alec leaned closer and snuggled into his chest. "I don't suppose you're hungry."

Alec stiffened. "By the angel. No."

"Can I try something?" Magnus asked. Alec nodded, and Magnus placed his hands on his warm temples, using magic to soothe the pain. 

"Wow," Alec murmured. "Head feels better."

"Do you wanna go to bed?" Magnus asked. 

"Don't wanna move," Alec yawned. "Too tired." He closed his eyes and fell asleep after a few minutes. Magnus stayed, gently stroking his hair and rubbing his back until Alec woke up a few hours later and stumbled to the bathroom to throw up. Magnus followed, giving a second's head start to Alec in case he wanted to deal with this himself. 

"Hey," Magnus said softly from the doorway. Alec was resting his head on the toilet seat, looking flushed and absolutely miserable. "You okay?"

Alec sighed heavily, reaching up to flush the toilet and turning to face Magnus. "I'll live." 

Magnus knelt next to him, placing a comforting hand on his back. "Is there any way I can help?"

"I'll be okay," Alec stood up shakily, then moved over to the sink to brush his teeth. "I'm actually... I feel a little better now. I should probably shower."

"Need help?"

"Magnus," Alec fixed him with a hard look. "I'm really not in the mood for... for that."

"Not what I meant. How about I draw you a bath," Magnus suggested. "I'm not sure I trust your ability to stand for an extended period of time."

Alec chuckled. "Yeah. Good call." 

Magnus filled up the bathtub with water that was warm but not too hot; Alec was already dizzy and feverish, so a hot bath would only exacerbate that. Then he added some soothing, lightly scented oils and set a fluffy towel within reach. 

"Holler if you need anything," Magnus said.

Alec emerged half an hour later, dressed in pajamas and his softest sweater, and dropped down onto the couch next to Magnus. 

"How are you feeling?"

Alec shrugged. "Alright, I guess. I'm already starting to feel better. Like, less pukey."

Magnus felt Alec's forehead. "You still have a fever."

He summoned the thermometer and took Alec's temperature again. "100.4. Good, it went down."

Alec sighed, scooting closer to Magnus and resting his head on his shoulder.

"Are you okay?" Magnus asked. "Still have a headache?"

"My head still kind of hurts, but I'm okay." Alec yawned. "You don't need to use magic again. I know it exhausts you."

"Are you sure? I don't mind."

"Yeah. I'd rather just deal with it." Alec replied. "It isn't that bad."

"I called Catarina," Magnus said. "She said it sounds like a run of the mill stomach virus. Also, if your stomach has settled, you should probably try to eat something."

Alec answered with a muttered grumpy response. 

"What was that?" Magnus teased.

"I'm not hungry. I'll eat later." Alec grumbled. 

"Fine, but at least drink some water," Magnus said, conjuring up a glass and handing it to Alec, who started to chug it. "Hey, drink slowly. I don't want this water making a reappearance."

Alec wrinkled his nose in disgust and began to take small, slow sips of the water. "This is torture. I'm so thirsty." 

"Do not drink too fast," Magnus warned. 

Apparently, despite his efforts, Alec did drink too fast, because he found himself puking up all of the water he'd just drank half an hour later. 

"This sucks," he complained. "I thought I was done throwing up."

"You just drank too much too fast," Magnus explained. "Let's get you to bed, wait a bit, and then we can try this water thing again."

\---

Magnus woke up to the smell of coffee wafting from the kitchen. He reached out towards Alec's side of the bed. Finding it empty, he sighed, hoping that Alec wasn't throwing up again. He got out of bed, reached for his silk robe, and made his way out to the kitchen, where he found Alec fully dressed and stirring a cup of coffee.

"Feeling better, I take it?" Magnus asked.

"Yeah, a lot." Alec grinned. "I feel fine now."

Magnus reached up to his forehead. "Your fever is gone. You're really feeling one hundred percent?" 

"Yes," Alec insisted. "Well, I'm a little shaky, but I think that's because I haven't eaten in a while."

"Good," Magnus kissed his cheek. "I'll make breakfast."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Any suggestions for Magnus? 
> 
> Also I really love sick Alec so I will definitely be writing more so be on the lookout.


	5. Nurse Lightwood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This time, Magnus has a little cold and is surprised that Alec is a good caretaker.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I was supposed to finish a five page paper tonight and instead I finished this? haha hope you enjoy it.

Magnus sniffled as he carefully measured out ingredients for a potion, then cleared his throat. He sighed, knowing that this was probably the after effect of overextending his magic a few days ago. He always tended to be just slightly under the weather when magical exhaustion hit. Coughing into his sleeve, Magnus turned back to the task at hand and expertly sprinkled a finely crushed powder into the mixture, then, with a flourish, used some of his magic to make the substance start to boil.

"I thought you weren't supposed to use magic until you've recovered from your magic exhaustion," Alec said. He was sitting in the cushioned armchair in Magnus' study, poring over a book while Magnus worked. 

"I think I'm mostly recovered," Magnus replied. "It's been almost three days since I exhausted myself. It normally doesn't take this long."

"Hmm," Alec said, then turned back to his book, uninterested. When Magnus coughed a few seconds later, Alec looked up again. "Do warlocks get sick? Like, colds and stuff?"

"Not often," Magnus replied. "But it can happen. I've had colds and cases of flu before. Mostly when I was younger and still getting a sense of my magic. Whenever I would exhaust myself, I would be more susceptible to mundane illnesses." He cleared his throat.

"So it's possible you're coming down with a cold right now?" Alec asked. 

"I haven't had a cold in fifty years."

"That doesn't answer my question." Alec pressed. "You sound like you're getting sick. Are you?"

"To be completely honest with you, I'm not entirely sure," Magnus admitted. "I don't remember what it feels like very well."

"Well, for me, usually it starts with a tickle in my throat. Maybe a headache or a runny nose." Alec described. 

"Uh oh," Magnus muttered. 

"I think you are getting a cold." Alec frowned sympathetically. "Take it easy today, and maybe you'll feel better tomorrow. It could just be magic exhaustion or whatever."

\---

Magnus did not feel better the next day. He suddenly felt a new sympathy for Alec, thinking about that time that he had been at the Institute working all day while fighting a cold. How had Alec been able to manage? Magnus felt like his brain was leaking out of his face, and like his lungs were trying to expel themselves from his chest. The plus side, if there even was one, was that Alec was a surprisingly good caretaker.

Magnus shouldn't have been surprised; Alec did have three younger siblings, after all, and since his parents were often busy, Alec had probably nursed his siblings back to health from numerous colds. It was just that this side of Alec would be completely unexpected from anyone other than his family and Magnus, as Alec tended to have a cold exterior and a standoffish disposition to those who didn't know him well. 

"How are you feeling?" Alec asked softly, sitting down on the bed next to Magnus and handing him a cup of tea. 

Magnus took a sip of tea and sighed. "Honestly? Kind of awful. What kind of tea is this?"

"It's a mixture of green tea, peppermint, and honey," Alec explained. "I make this for Izzy and Jace whenever they get sick. It really helps sore throats."

Magnus could confirm. Both the warmth of the drink and the cooling properties of the mint reduced the aching and burning in his throat. "I'm surprised, Alexander. I didn't think you had it in you to make anything edible."

"Or drinkable?" Alec added, before quipping back, "shut up and drink your tea."

Magnus chuckled, which caused him to cough. Alec gently patted his back. 

"The honey should help with your cough, too." He said. "Or, it helps Max a lot when he has a cough."

"Thank you," Magnus cleared his throat. "Is this how miserable colds always are? I don't remember."

"Pretty much," Alec confirmed. "I know it sucks. Just try to rest. Sleeping helps." 

He left, leaving Magnus to drift off to sleep. 

When Magnus woke up, Alec was stretched out on the other side of the bed.

"Don't you have to be at the Institute?" Magnus croaked.

"I called in sick."

"You're not sick."

"But you are," Alec stated. "You need me."

Magnus didn't even try to protest. Okay, maybe he didn't need Alec to survive his head cold, but having Alec there surely made the entire ordeal more bearable. Alec's quiet, soft presence was soothing, and the concerned but determined look on his face was incredibly endearing, Magnus thought. 

Alec placed a hand on Magnus' forehead gently. "I think you still have a fever, but it's not too bad. I'll keep an eye on it."

"Thank you, Doctor Lightwood." Magnus teased, coughing.

"Oh, shut up," Alec said, but there was an unmistakable grin spreading across his face. 

"You know what, actually your role here is more of a nurse, my bad." Magnus chuckled. "Nurse Lightwood."

"That nickname does not leave this loft," Alec tried sounding threatening, but he was laughing too hard for it to work. He tried changing the subject. "More tea?"

Magnus spent the rest of the day in bed, napping when he could fall asleep and talking with Alec when he couldn't. He then spent the next day on the couch, watching reruns of old TV shows and introducing Alec to new movies. The following day, Magnus felt better enough to get back to his work, and for Alec to go back to the Institute. 

"Hey, Magnus," Alec greeted, coming back through the door. "How are you feeling?"

"Much better, thanks to you." Magnus kissed him, quick and casual. "How was your day?"

"It was fine," Alec answered. "Jace has a cold now, just like you did. You must've gotten it from the same place."

"Mm. Or you're an asymptomatic carrier, like Typhoid Mary." 

"Who's Typhoid Mary?"

"Never mind," Magnus said. "So Jace is sick? Is this another opportunity for Doctor Lightwood to resurface?"

"What I'm doing is more like a nurse," Alec corrected quietly, and they both laughed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So that's the end of this little series! I really love sick Alec so I'll probably be writing more (not necessarily within this story/series) so be on the lookout. :) Also I really love when you guys leave comments ;)


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